The abbreviation of UPSC is Union Public Service Commission. It is the primary recruiting agency for civil services under the Government of India. UPSC is also responsible for recruiting for various Group A and B positions for All India Services, Central Services, and Armed Forces for the government of India.
Some coveted positions for which the UPSC recruits are the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Revenue Service, etc.
UPSC is an independent and autonomous organization that conducts the Civil Services Examinations every year. It is considered to be one of the toughest examinations taken by lakhs of students for approximately 800 seats.
UPSC conducts examinations not only for the recruitment of IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS but also for other positions. For example, the Indian Forest Service Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, Engineering Services Examination, National Defence Academy Examination, Naval Academy Examination, Combined Medical Services Examination, Special Class Railway Apprentice, Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination, etc.
UPSC Eligibility Criteria
Just like every other exam, the eligibility criteria for UPSC-CSE are quite strict and candidates not adhering to the eligibility criteria can be disqualified from taking the exam. Therefore, before applying for UPSC-CSE, check the eligibility criteria given below -:
- The candidate must have a minimum age of 21 years and the age limit must not exceed 32 years.
- The candidate must have completed graduation from any recognized university in any stream.
- The candidate must have Indian nationality.
The eligibility criteria for other examinations conducted by UPSC are given below -:
| Examinations | Eligibility Criteria |
| CAPF Exam | The candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized institution or university. |
| Engineering Services Exam (IES) | The candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized institution or university. |
| Combined Medical Services Exam (CMS) | The candidate must have an MBBS degree from a recognized institution or university. |
| Indian Economic Services/Indian Statistical Services Exam (IES/ISS)) | The candidate must have a postgraduate degree in a stream related to Economics or Applied Economics from a recognized university. |
Exam Pattern
Becoming an IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. Officer, the candidate needs to qualify for the national Civil Services Examination, also referred to as UPSC-CSE, conducted and regulated by UPSC alongside other government services. To become an IPS officer, the candidate will have to pass through a rigorous selection procedure. Candidates who qualify for the preliminary exam are called for the main exam. On the basis of marks secured in the Main exam, they will be called for an interview. The total marks of the Main exam and Interview sum up to produce the final result.
A.) PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
UPSC CSE Prelims consists of two papers namely General Studies I and CSAT (General Studies Paper-II). While CSAT is qualifying in nature, the marks obtained in the General Studies paper determine your selection for UPSC Mains. It means your score in the General Studies Paper will be considered for the Prelims cut-off
| Paper | Subject | Parts of Subject | Duration | Total Marks | Nature of paper |
| Paper A | Compulsory Indian language | One of the Indian Languages to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. | 3 Hours | 300 | Qualifying |
| Paper B | English | English | 3 Hours | 300 | Qualifying |
| Paper 1 | Essay | Essay | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 2 | General Studies I | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society) | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 3 | General Studies II | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations) | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 4 | General Studies III | General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 5 | General Studies IV | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 6 | Optional I | Optional Subject-Paper 1 | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Paper 7 | Optional II | Optional Subject Paper 2 | 3 Hours | 250 | Merit |
| Sub Total (Written Test) | 1750 | ||||
| Personality test | 275 | ||||
| Grand total | 2025 |
C.) Interview
After qualifying for the mains examination, candidates are invited for a personal interview which roughly lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour· The interview of the candidate will be offline and taken by a highly experienced panel. After the interview process is done, the compilation of marks is done in which the marks of qualifying exams aren’t added.
FAQs regarding UPSC
The maximum number of attempts to appear for UPSC-CSE is 6
The application fee is Rs.100.
Reserved categories are allowed to relax their age requirements. For SC/ST, it is 5 years whereas for OBC it is 3 years. For defense personnel, it is 3 years and ex-servicemen who have served for at least 5 years are given a relaxation of 5 years.PWD candidates are provided with a relaxation of 10 years
A deduction of 0.66 points is deducted for each incorrect answer.
For an Army wing, the candidate must have passed class 12 with at least 55% from a recognized board whereas, for Air Force and Naval wings, the candidate must have passed Class 12 or equivalent examination with Physics and Mathematics from a recognized board with at least 55% marks.
